Excerpt from Runaway Secret :
Taylor Point , South Carolina Wednesday , 7:40 a . m .
“ When will you have another baby , Momma ?”
Marissa Richland choked on a sip of her hot coffee as she turned toward her six-year-old daughter , meeting that serious , deep blue gaze that made her ache for dreams long gone . Dreams she couldn ' t quite keep buried . “ That ' s a big question on a busy morning , Erin ,” Marissa evaded . Times like these , times that would only become more frequent as Erin grew up , made her wonder how she ' d ever survive this journey as a single mother .
“ Mrs . Trenham is having a baby over the summer ,” Erin said around a mouthful of cereal .
“ Chew first ,” Marissa reminded her automatically as she finished packing Erin ' s lunch .
Obediently , her little girl chewed and swallowed , then finished her orange juice . “ I ' m not a baby anymore ,” she said with a gravity first-graders shouldn ' t possess .
“ I ' m aware of that , Junebug .” She smiled , hiding the pain that haunted her daily from the light of her life .
“ Sara says mommies are supposed to have more than one baby .”
Marissa ' s heart flipped in her chest as she faced her daughter . At one time , the plan was for three children . They ' d even had a short list of names . But plans changed and she was grateful for every day with her precious , if precocious child . From the start , Erin had studied the world through eyes identical to the stunning blue of her father . Along with
his ornery grin and boundless curiosity . “ Some mommies get it right the first time ,” she replied , smoothing the feathery wisps of silky golden hair escaping Erin ' s ponytail . “ Just like I did with you .”
“ Sara says you won ' t have more babies because I don ' t have a daddy .”
Marissa bit her tongue . Erin ' s friend Sara was full of interesting opinions . “ Isn ' t her mommy having a baby soon ?”
“ Yes !” Erin ' s shoulders sagged and she thrust out her chin with Broadwayworthy exasperation . “ Why can ' t we have a baby ? I really want a brother .” “ You do ?” Erin sat up straight and nodded . “ Yes ! ' Cuz then we won ' t have to share a room and fight over toys and dress up .”
“ I see .” Marissa tried not to laugh . “ We ' ll talk about it after school . If we don ' t get a move-on we ' ll both be late .”
~~
Runaway Secret is a romantic suspense novella set in Taylor Point , a fictional town I planted at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in South Carolina . The area is one of my favorite places in the state with waterfalls big and small , sweeping views , and stunning foliage from azaleas to redbuds and rhododendrons to tall sweetgum trees .
When I first moved to South Carolina in the late 80 ' s I used to take long drives through the area to relax and recharge . Years later , after we ' d relocated to the South Carolina Lowcountry , my kids went to summer camp in the area . For me , visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains is like reconnecting with an old friend . Time might have passed , but it ' s natural to pick up right where we left off .
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